How long have you been playing steel?

Whip Lashaway · Post by **Whip Lashaway** » 20 Dec 2008 2:41 pm

So let's make A.J.'s thread a poll and see how it shakes out! Personally I've been playing steel for over 25 years. I'm working on year 26 now.

Whip Lashaway · Post by **Whip Lashaway** » 29 Dec 2008 2:21 pm

This is interesting. so far about 1/3 of us are new players.

Whip Lashaway · Post by **Whip Lashaway** » 6 Jan 2009 5:18 pm

This is really interesting. 1/3 are newby's and 1/5 are from 5 - 10 years. That's almost half of us relatively new to the instrument! So, half of us are looking for information and half of us are giving it. I guess that makes sense!

Robert Thomas · Post by **Robert Thomas** » 7 Jan 2009 3:42 am

60 plus years.

Whip Lashaway · Post by **Whip Lashaway** » 7 Jan 2009 11:45 am

WOW Robert!!! I see 12% are over 50 years, thats some longevity for ya. I guess steel playing is good for your health.

Rick Winfield · Post by **Rick Winfield** » 7 Jan 2009 12:55 pm

20 months in,
and loving every minute
Rick

Bob Tuttle · Post by **Bob Tuttle** » 7 Jan 2009 2:47 pm

Over 58 years. I started in mid 1950. I'm still learning. I don't think you can ever learn it all.

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 7 Jan 2009 3:45 pm

38 next month.

Nigel Mullen · Post by **Nigel Mullen** » 7 Jan 2009 4:35 pm

39 years

Dean Neeley · Post by **Dean Neeley** » 7 Jan 2009 8:44 pm

I started playing in 1947

Dwight Lewis · Post by **Dwight Lewis** » 8 Jan 2009 7:07 am

I have been playing for 1year and a half. I know everything there is to know about this thing, but my hands and feet kind of taking there time catching up.

Dwight

Zeke Cory · Post by **Zeke Cory** » 8 Jan 2009 7:47 am

I have played for 46 years. Never been away from it for more than a few days, ever. Kept me out of trouble when I was younger thru school, and provided a good income all my life. I am as hooked today as I was when I first started. (kinda like a kid at christmas I guess.) Thank heaven for something good in this life. Thanks and my best to you. Zeke

Bobby Bowman · Post by **Bobby Bowman** » 8 Jan 2009 10:14 am

Coming up on 69 years. I was better then than I am now. LOL!!!!!
BB
BTW, I was 4 years old when I started. Do the math. But, I'm still a kid at heart,,,well at least some of the time.

Roger Edgington · Post by **Roger Edgington** » 8 Jan 2009 11:45 am

I started on a 6 string lap steel at 10 and I'm closing fast on 63. Got my first pedal steel at 16. I play most week ends with a fine swing\country band and still love it.

Bob I. Williams · Post by **Bob I. Williams** » 8 Jan 2009 2:40 pm

I've been at it since 1962 and still going. Music is the only thing that could keep my interest for that long. BOB

Brett Day · Post by **Brett Day** » 8 Jan 2009 3:02 pm

I've been playin' for nine years now. I started on Christmas Day-December 25,1999 at the age of eighteen. I'm twenty-seven now and I love playin' steel.

Brett

Joe Drivdahl · Post by **Joe Drivdahl** » 8 Jan 2009 4:48 pm

I wanted to chart this data, so I did. Its very encouraging to see the number of new players! Thank God the trend of 20 years or so ago didn't continue.

Of course this may not be a representative sample since younger people and beginning players are more likely to frequent this site... maybe.

Joe

Wayne Douglas · Post by **Wayne Douglas** » 9 Jan 2009 11:14 am

Been a PSG "owner" about 20 years.

Ray Montee · Post by **Ray Montee** » 9 Jan 2009 11:56 am

Started at Age 7..........

Now 72, it's been 65.5 years.

I'm still as excited about steel guitar today as I was then. I have JERRY BYRD to thank for that.

Kenny Martin · Post by **Kenny Martin** » 9 Jan 2009 12:02 pm

39 and started at age 9! I'm 49 so i'm working on 40 and guitar was the same. Dobro 5 years! Fiddle 6 years! Just started mandolin so 1 year!

I need to quit on one of these maybe!!

Sam Lewis · Post by **Sam Lewis** » 9 Jan 2009 7:04 pm

I started playing in a band in 1952 with a 6-striong Gibson lap steel. My first "pedal steel" came in 1959, a Tripple-neck Fender with ONE, yep, ONE pedal.My first REAL pedal steel was a Fender 1000 that I played in Newfoundland (1962). It's been a long time, but I've enjoyed it every minute of it. I still play twice a week, every week, Saturday night at Houston Country show and Sunday at church.

I forgot to mention that I have played guitar since I was 6 years old, I'm 78 now.

Doug Seymour · Post by **Doug Seymour** » 9 Jan 2009 7:16 pm

Started in November of 1946 as a high school senior who had been listening to L T Zinn on our local ABC station WJTN. I bought an Airline 6 string lap steel from the Montgomery-Ward catalog and played it through a little Knight Radio PA system......didn't
own an amp!? Got a MultiKord about 1954 or 55? and a ShoBud crossover in 1968. Got the rest of the knees with an MSA D10 about 1974. Can't play much steel without the knees!?? I'll turn 80 in February and I still don't know any better than to want another new one for my birthday! One of you guys let my kids know....OK??

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 9 Jan 2009 8:23 pm

The peak around 30-40 years corresponds to when the post-war Baby Boomers started playing and also when country-rock turned on that whole generation of young players to steel guitar. It's also when the golden age of country pedal steel was in full bloom in Nashville. It's a triple whammy. The same trend was revealed in a poll awhile back on the age of Forum members.

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